So I shot this rockin wedding in Vegas a few months ago. Bride loved it, parents loved it and guests loved it. So I met this one girl at the wedding and she was asking me all kinds of stuff. Basically she wants to be a photographer one day, so naturally she asked me all the questions. Being the nice guy I am at weddings, yes I am nice believe it or not I answered her questions and told her were to go to find answers and get help. I even told her to come on here and look around.

So today I get this facebook message from her asking if she can purchase a thumbnail from me because she wants to buy the bride and groom a canvas from somewhere. This is after she said how awesome my work was and she loved all of the photos. OK great she saw the photos so that means she was on the link I gave the bride and groom which is my store where you make purchases.

I am half tempted to just tell her to go fly a kite, but it is the grooms sister so I guess I will be nice. I am thinking of totally ignoring her entire message about buying a file and just send her a link to where she can get her canvas done through me.

Basically her message reads to me like this.... Dear photographer. My photos are so shitty that I can not get a good photo from the wedding to make the bride and groom a canvas. Yours are awesome and I would love to give them a canvas with your image on it. But I do not want to pay you for the canvas so I am going to be cheap and go somewhere else and get it done, even though it might suck and I know you can do it. Regards

I would think giving her the option to either 1) Buy use of the image to have the canvas print done herself, or 2) buy the printed canvas image through you directly would be better than just ignoring her entirely. Still gives you the chance to make some cash off the deal anyway.

I didn't know how this stuff works until I got into this site, so she's probably in the same boat I used to be... Not in the know.

And you're probably right, your images are most likely far better than hers. All the more reason she should be buying them from you.

SloPhoto wrote:
I would be afraid to quote that low. She is going to go to the lowest cost canvas place and give the bride and groom an inferior product.

I would think it would be in your interest to price it so that it was ~the same cost or cheaper for her to go through you..... if you offer it at all.

How is that low? It's going I cost her $50 to get a cheap canvas someplace. He still deserves to make the profit off his art. She could get 10 of them printed somewhere else. Should the local steakhouse lower its price to that of a Big Mac for fear that people might go to McDonalds instead?

ckhagen wrote:
How is that low? It's going I cost her $50 to get a cheap canvas someplace. He still deserves to make the profit off his art. She could get 10 of them printed somewhere else. Should the local steakhouse lower its price to that of a Big Mac for fear that people might go to McDonalds instead?

I haven't seen anyone mention it but it seems to me that there is a high probability that she isn't just going to make a canvas of your shot - she is going to apply her mad Photoshop skillz first. I am envisioning a soft-focus HDR with selective color and a nice, white vignette.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I will let you know what she decides. I doubt I will hear back from her.... To answer the other guy. Yes the bride has the files. This girl wants to give the canvas as a gift so i doubt she would ever ask for the file from the bride.

understand that she might "want to be a photographer", but likely hasn't put a lot of thought into the nuances of pricing, etc. she may very well not have the cash for a canvas, and thinks she can both satisfy you by offering to pay for the file and satisfy herself by saving money on the final product.

understand that she might "want to be a photographer", but likely hasn't put a lot of thought into the nuances of pricing, etc. she may very well not have the cash for a canvas, and thinks she can both satisfy you by offering to pay for the file and satisfy herself by saving money on the final product.

Thats a good point. Something I didnt think of. She might think she is doing me good to pay for the file.